Case turning-in machine



March 28, 1950 H, A. MERZ 2,501,733

CASE TURNING-IN MACHINE Filed Deo. 5, 1948 WH "HMM f-'IG' HEMA/273235Z.

ATTORNEYS,

Patented Mar. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASE TURNING-IN MACHINE Herman A. Merz, Cincinnati, Ohio Application December 3, 1948, Serial No. 63,310

8 Claims.

This invention relates to case turning-in machines of the type used in the manufacture of book-bindings to fold the marginal edges of cases over the boards or backings comprising the book covers.

In the manufacture of book bindings, three pieces of board are commonly used. Two of these pieces are of the size of the front and back covers vof the book, and the third is of the same length.

but is much narrower and corresponds substantially to the thickness of the book. A case which may be of leather, imitation leather, or fabric of one sort or another, is generally cut out to a length exceeding the total of the widths of the rfront and back boards and the backing strip, and of a width greater than the length of the boards. The lcase material is coated with adhesive on its underside and the three board pieces are properly positioned thereon. The extending marginal edges of the case are then folded in, in order to nish the casing operation of the book cover.

While the casing operation may be carried on by hand, numerous machines have been designed 'and built from time to time for performing this operation. These machineshave usually been of considerable complexity. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a machine for turning-in cases which will be extremely simple and inexpensive in construction, and which will be very simple in operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a machine as outlined above, which will be simple in operation and will have a great flexibility as to sizes and thicknesses of boards to be covered.

These and other objects of the invention which W'fwill be pointed out in more detail hereinafter or line 3-3 of Figure 1.

- Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 2. Y Figure 6 is an end elevation lpartially in perspective showing the folding presser element.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a case with the three board elements in position thereon showing a preliminary operation in the turning-in of the case.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the completed case.

Briefly, in the practice of the invention, I provide a work supporting table having along its rear edge an abutment means for boards. This abutment means preferably comprises a row of rollers freely rotatable about vertical parallel axes. Supported from the axes of these rollers there is a case turning abutment comprising a member extending downwardly in front of the rollers and spaced from the supporting table by an amount sufficient to permit passage of a board. Adjacent one end of the board abutment and turning-in means, I provide a case folding presser to carry forward the case folding operation started in connection with the case turning abutment mentioned above. Following the case folding presser, I provide a pair of pressing rollers in alignment with the various portions of the apparatus mentioned above, to complete the operation. The boards with the case adhesively secured thereto is handled manually and inserted into the machine and moved through the machine by hand, the various folding and pressing operations being carried on in the machine.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, a work supporting table is shown at I 0. Adjacent the rear edge of the table I IJ there is provided -a row of rollers II. Associated with the row of rollers is a case turning abutment indicated generally at I2. The rollers II and the case turning abutment I2 may be mounted in various ways. By way of example, I have shown the rollers II as comprising sleeves freely rotatable upon the studs I3. The studs are provided with the shoulders I4 and I5, the threaded Shanks I6 and I'I. The studs I3 may be secured to the supporting table I by passing the threaded portion I 'I through a hole in the work supporting table and securing it by means of a nut I8. The stud I 3 is clamped to the table I0 between the shoulder I5 acting on a washer I9, and the washer 2Q under the nut I8.

The sleeve I I is simply slipped over the stud I3 and preferably extends into a counter-bore ZI in the work table I0 so that the lower edge of the roller II is beneath the surface of the table I0. The case turning abutment as shown in these drawings comprises a piece of angle iron having a number of holes therein by means of which it is supported over the portion I6 of the various 3 studs I3. The member I2 is clamped into position by means of the nuts 22.

It will be clear from a consideration of Figure 4 that the member I2 is spaced from the surface of the work table III by an amount sumcient to permit passage of a board indicated in broken lines at 23.

Adjacent the right hand end as seen in Figures 1 and 2 of the board abutment means, I provide the case folding presser member indicated generally at 24. The configuration of this element is best seen from a consideration of Figure 6, where it will be observed that it comprises a plate 25 having holes 26 therein for its support on Vthe studs 21. The plate 25 may be split as indicated at 28 and the portion 29 may be depressed below the plane of the portion 25 at an' angle. Preferably, also, the portion 29 will be tapered as indicated at 30. The member 24 is mounted on the studs 2'I which are secured to a block 32 which itself is secured to the work table I0. Springs 3i acting on top of the block 25 and retained by the washers 33 and the lock nut arrangement 34 hold the block 25 yieldingly in a downward position. The block may, however, ride up in order to permit passage of boards of various thicknesses without the necessity of individual adjustment.

To the right of the member 24 as seen in Figures l and 2, I provide the pressing rollers indicated generally at 35. These rollers are preferably faced with a resilient material at 36, so that boards of various thicknesses may be passed be tween the rollers 35 without the necessity of adjusting the spacing of the shafts carrying these rollers.

The roller 35 is mounted on a shaft 3? and its corresponding roller 35a is mounted on a shaft 31a. As best seen in Figure 3, the shaft 31a carries a gear 3E and the shaft 31 carries a gear 33 of equal size and number of teeth, so that when one of the shafts is driven, the other shaft is driven through the gearing just described at the same speed and in the opposite direction. The gear 39 is driven by a pinion 4I on the shaft 42 of the speed reducing device 43. Thus. as the motor 43a operates it drives the shaft 31 which in turn drives the shaft 31a so that the rollers 35v and 35a. are concurrently driven in opposite directions.

Each of the shafts 31 and 37a also carries f roller 5S having a resilient surface. so that a final, overall pressing operation can be performed on the cover.

In Figure 7, I have illustrated a case at 50 covered with an adhesive substance I and having disposed thereon in properly spaced relation the boards 52, 53, and 54. The boards 52 and 53 will form the backing respectively foi` the front and back of the book cover whilev the board 54 will provide the backbone for the books. It will be observed that the case extends on all sides of the assembly and in order to complete the cover it is necessary to turn in the overlapping marginal portions of the case. Generally, the first operation will be to turn in the corners as lindicated at 55, and then the top, bottom, and side overlapping marginal portions are turned in so that the completed article has the appearance as seen in Figure 8.

The manner in which the device just described is used may best be seen initially from Figure ti. A board 52 having adhesively secured thereto a case 5U is brought substantially in the position shownr in solid lines downwardly against the case turning abutment I2, passing through the intermediate position shown in broken lines at 52a, whereby the case marginal edge 50a is bent upwardly, the edge of the board is then pushed under the -case turning abutment I2 with board and case lying upon the working supporting table I0, so that when the assembly is pushed toward the left as seen in Figure 4, the extending portion 50a, of the .case is folded downwardly as shown in the figure. When the assembly is pushed to the left of Figure 4, up against the rollers I I an adhesive bond is produced between the case and the end edge of the board. The entire assembly is now moved along the work supporting table III toward the right as seen in Figures 1 and 2 and as the edge of the assembly passes under the member 24 the case folding presser, exerts a downward pressure upon the portion 50a' of the case, giving it an initial adhesive contact with the board, the operation is completed by continuing the movement toward the right of the assembly until the assembly entersthe bite between therolls 35 and 35a, and these rolls complete the pressing of the folded marginal edge of the case against the board or backing member.

Since the table Il) is of considerable length, and a considerable number of rollers II are provided, it will be clear that this apparatus offers extreme flexibility as to the size of work which can be handled. For example, the initial folding over of the cornersas at 55 can be accomplished by pushing in the assembly of case and board opposite the rightmost roller II of Figure 2. In folding over a longitudinal edge of the case, it will be .seen that the case for quite a large book can be handled without any change in the set up of the machine. The spacing between the member i2 and the work. supporting table can be made sufficiently large to accept the thickest board which is apt to be encountered, and beyond this, no adjustment of any part is required. The case folding presser is yieldable as has been pointed out above, and is, in general, so positioned as to exert pressure on the thinnest board which is to bevencountered. Similarly, the spacing between the rollers 35 is such that there will be pressure` exerted by the rollers on the thinnest board which is to be encountered. When thicker boards are run through the machine, both the case folding presser 24 and the rollers 35 and 35a can yield to permit the passage of thicker boards.

After the foregoing operations have been performed, the completed cover may be passed one or more times between the rolls B0 for an overall finishing pass.

It will, of course, be understood that means might be provided, if desired, for adjustment of the member I2 but I have found this to be un necessary in practice.

It is to be understood that the machine described herein has been described in exemplary form, and that numerous modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what Iclaim -as-new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A case turning-in machine comprising a work supporting table, board abutment means adjacent the rear edge of said table, said board abutment means being provided with a xed case turning abutment forwardly thereof, a case folding presser substantially aligned with said turning abutment at. one end thereof, and a pair of pressing rollers substantially aligned with said case turning abutment beyond said case folding presser, for the purpose described.

2. A case turning-in machine comprising a Work supporting table, board abutment means adjacent the rear edge of said table, said board abutment means comprising a row of rollers freely rotatable about vertical parallel axes, a case turning abutment forwardly of said row of rollers, a case folding presser substantially aligned with said turning abutment at one end thereof, and a pair of pressing rollers substantially aligned with said case turning abutment beyond said case folding presser, for the purpose described.

3. A case turning-in machine comprising a work supporting table, board abutment means adjacent the rear edge ofA said table, said board abutment means comprising a row of rollers freely rotatable about vertical parallel axes, a

case turning abutment comprising a member extending downwardly in front of said rollers but spaced from said supporting table by an amount suiicient to permit a board on said supporting table to pass thereunder, a case folding presser substantially aligned with said turning abutment at one end thereof, and a pair of pressing rollers substantially aligned with said case turning abutment beyond said case folding presser, for the purpose described.

4. A device according to claim 1, in which said pressing rollers are provided peripherally with a resilient surface whereby said rollers are capable of pressing turned-in cases on boards of various thicknesses without adjustment of their axes.

5. A device according to claim 1, in which said case folding presser is yieldingly mounted whereby turned-in cases may be pressed on boards of various thicknesses without further adjustment of said presser.

6. A device according to claim 1, in which said pressing rollers are provided peripherally with a resilient surface and in which said case folding presser is yieldingly mounted, whereby turned-in cases may be pressed on boards of various thicknesses without individual adjustment of either said rollers or presser.

7. In combination in a case turning-in machine, a work supporting table and a plurality of rollers disposed in a row and freely rotatable on vertical parallel axes, said table being counterbored for each said roller so that the lower edges of said rollers are below the topv surface of said table.

8. In a combination in a case turning-in machine, a work supporting table and a plurality of vertical studs secured thereto in a row, a roller freely rotatable on each of said studs, said table being recessed for each of said rollers so that the lower edges of said rollers are below the top surface of said table, and a case turning abutment secured to said studs and extending downwardly in front of said rollers to a point spaced from said table so as to leave space between said table and said abutment for the passage of a board.

HERMAN A. MERZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 83,980 Lever Nov. 10, 1868 592,429 Moller Oct. 26, 1897 984,115 Taylor Feb. 14, 1911 1,977,908 Glass Oct. 23, 1934 

